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Ukuqhubeka Kwempikiswano Ekwakheni Kutsha
1 Kwathi ukuba ilizwi lifike kuSanibhalathi, loThobhiya, loGeshemi umʼArabhu lakuzo zonke izitha zethu ukuthi ngasengiwakhile kutsha umduli kungasasalanga sikhala kuwo loba nje ngalesosikhathi ngangingakafaki izivalo emasangweni, 2 uSanibhalathi loGeshemi bangithumela lelilizwi: “Woza, kesihlangane komunye wemizi esemagcekeni ase-Ono.”
Kodwa babeceba ukungenza kubi; 3 yikho ngasengithuma izithunywa kubo lale impendulo: “Ngiphezu komsebenzi omkhulu yikho ngeke ngize. Kungani umsebenzi ufanele ume ngiwutshiyela ukuza kini na?” 4 Kwaze kwaba kane bengithumela mbiko munye, lami ngala ngampendulo nye.
5 Kwathi ngesikhathi sesihlanu, uSanibhalathi wathuma inceku yakhe iphethe lona lelolizwi, ilencwadi esandleni ingavalwanga 6 ilotshwe ukuthi:
“Kubikwa phakathi kwezizwe loGeshemi uthi kuliqiniso ukuthi wena lamaJuda liceba ukuhlamuka, ngakho lakha umduli. Njalo, imbiko le ithi wena usufuna ukuba yinkosi yawo 7 futhi usuze wabeka abaphrofethi ukuthi benze lesisimemezelo ngawe eJerusalema esithi: ‘Sekulenkosi koJuda!’ Umbiko lo ungahle uyofika enkosini; yikho woza sibonisane.”
8 Ngambuyisela impendulo le: “Akulanto enjalo mayelana lalokho othi kuyenzakala; konke kuphume engqondweni yakho.”
9 Bonke babezama ukusethusela, bekhumbula besithi, “Izandla zabo zizaphela amandla bangabe besasebenza, yikho umsebenzi kawuyikuphela.”
Kodwa ngakhuleka ngathi, “Manje qinisa izandla zami.”
10 Ngelinye ilanga ngaya endlini kaShemaya indodana kaDelaya, indodana kaMehethabheli, owayezivalele endlini yakhe. Wathi, “Kasihlangane endlini kaNkulunkulu, phakathi kwethempeli, sivale iminyango yethempeli, ngoba kulamadoda abuyayo ebusuku ukuzokubulala.”
11 Kodwa ngathi, “Umuntu onjengami kungamfanela ukubaleka na? Kumbe umuntu onjengami angangena ethempelini ukusiza impilo yakhe na? Kangiyi!” 12 Ngabona ukuthi wayengathunywanga nguNkulunkulu, kodwa wayenze isiphrofethi sokungilahla ngoba oThobhiya loSanibhalathi babemthengile. 13 Wayethengwe ukuthi angethuse ukuze ngenze isono ngokwenza lokhu, ukwenzela ukuthi bangiphe ibizo elibi ngizondakale.
14 Bakhumbule oThobhiya loSanibhalathi, Oh Nkulunkulu wami, ngenxa yalokho asebekwenzile; mkhumbule njalo umphrofethikazi uNowadiya labo bonke labobaphrofethi abebekade bezama ukungethusa. 15 Ngakho umduli waphela ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili ku-Eluli, ngemva kwensuku ezingamatshumi amahlanu lambili.
Ukuqediswa Komduli
16 Izitha zethu zonke sezikuzwile lokho, zonke izizwe eziseduze zesaba zalahla ithemba, ngoba zananzelela ukuthi umsebenzi lo wenziwa uxhaswe nguNkulunkulu.
17 Njalo, ngalezonsuku izikhulu zakoJuda zazithumezela izincwadi ezinengi kuThobhiya, lezimpendulo zikaThobhiya zabe zilokhu zifika kuzo. 18 Phela abanengi koJuda babebambelele kuye ngesifungo, ngoba wayengumkhwenyana kaShekhaniya indodana ka-Ara, futhi indodana yakhe uJehohanani yayithethe indodakazi kaMeshulami indodana kaBherekhiya. 19 Ikanti njalo babelokhu behlezi bengibikela ngezenzo zakhe ezinhle, basuke bayemtshela ukuthi ngitheni. Njalo uThobhiya wathumezela izincwadi ukungethusela.